Chapter Twenty-One

West

“There’s a screw left. Oh, no. There are two screws left.” Picking up the tiny things was a project of its own.

“Maybe they sent us more screws than we need?” Alex suggested, shrugging. I hadn’t requested he put our baby’s crib together wearing only low-slung pajama pants, but I was so not mad about it. I sat in the rocking chair while he worked, the planes and valleys so alluring as his muscles tensed and relaxed.

I was mated to some kind of demigod.

“Maybe.”

Alex stood and made a show of shaking the crib this way and that and deemed it stable. He turned around, hands on his hips. “Our cub won’t be creating earthquakes in there so I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s get the bed made up. First, the mattress.”

We made up the bed, and Alex laid the rug down.

“That’s it, I think.” We stood back and admired our work.

“It’s a beautiful room, but I plan on having our babe as near as possible. At least for the first year.”

Alex wrapped his arms around the top of my waist since that was the part of me he could encircle. Gods, I was getting huge. “That’s why we got the cradle for the bedroom, West. And the Moby Wrap to keep them near.”

I shook my head. “Silly of me. I’m possessive over our cub and they’re not even out of my body yet.”

“That just means you’re going to make an amazing father. But I already knew that. You take such good care of me.”

I leaned to the side and kissed his head. “Here, I thought it was you who took care of me.”

“We take care of each other. Oh, look what time it is. We have to get to your healer appointment.”

We rushed out the door and made it to the appointment with no time to spare.

“Good afternoon, you two. Are we excited to see your little one?”

Until the healer mentioned the ultrasound, I’d been too busy rushing to the appointment to let my nerves get the best of me.

“We are,” Alex answered, squeezing my hand. Our cub tumbled inside me. Maybe he knew he was about to be in a tiny movie and wanted to show off.

I hoped he had Alex’s dark eyes. A little Alex running around would be my dream come true.

“Now, Alex, I’m going to lift your mate’s shirt and put some of this gel on his belly. Then I will take this wand and move it around to get a clear picture.”

Alex sat on the stool next to the bed and laughed. “Yes. I’ve seen ultrasounds on TV and movies.”

The healer chuckled. “Yes, but many an alpha has growled or nearly attacked me for touching their mate. Never can be too careful.”

The screen lit up as the healer smoothed the wand along my belly. The gel was cool. “Oh, there they are. Look at that.”

On the screen, I saw blobs and circles encircling more circles but nothing that looked like a baby. “A little help?” I laughed.

“Sure,” the healer said. “There is the head and the legs. Oh, I forgot to ask. Did you want to know the sex?”

I deferred to Alex. We had discussed it before, and I wanted it to be a surprise.

My mate smiled. “Can you tell me and not him? He wants it all to be a surprise.”

“No!” I said. “If you know, then I’m going to fold and make you tell me.”

“Okay, okay.” Alex put his hands up, palms out. “No reveal. Let’s get back to the important stuff. Everything look healthy to you?”

“Let me take some measurements but yes, right now, this one is a feisty baby. Lots of movement. Good growth from what I can tell. Womb looks healthy. One minute.”

The healer took all kinds of screenshots of measurements and then printed out plenty of pictures for us to keep.

“Everything is going very well,” the healer said, slapping his thighs after cleaning my belly up. “Measurements are right where they should be. Is there anything you have questions about or concerns?”

We talked a little about nutrition and making sure I avoided caffeine. I had done that the entire pregnancy and while I wasn’t pleased about it, I knew it was best for our little one.

We left the healer with smiles. After today, we would be going in more frequently to do checks since I was nearing my due date.

“Our cub’s gonna be here before we know it,” Alex said.

“They are. I’m excited but a little scared too.” Admitting that was tough.

“About the labor or about being a daddy?”

My stomach swirled with worry. “Both.”

Alex reached over to me in the car and took my hand in his. “It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to worry.”

I sighed. “I want to be strong for you and for our cub.”

Alex stopped on the side of the road. “Listen to me well, omega. You can be strong and afraid at the same time. It’s called bravery, and you are one of the bravest people I know.”